Baillieu touts greater focus on business

Victorian Premier
Ted Baillieu
has sold his new ministerial line-up as one that will give greater focus to the needs of business.

The 22 member cabinet, which was sworn in yesterday, strongly mirrored the structure that the Coalition employed in opposition but streamlines the economic portfolio arrangements.

“We are going into government with a stable team," he said.

As expected Treasurer
Kim Wells
, Finance Minister
Robert Clark
and Assistant Treasurer
Gordon Rich-Phillips
all retained the positions held as shadow ministers to make up the core of the economics team.

Richard Dalla-Riva
takes on a suite of industrial portfolios previously split between three shadow ministers.

Louise Asher
lost her responsibility for urban water but picked up Innovation, Services and Small Business.

Mr Baillieu said Ms Asher’s new portfolios did not amount to a demotion.

“Far from it, Louise is very strongly of this view also; we want to have a greater focus on business and exports and this will allow Louise to focus on that," he said.

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Ryan Smith, who was a late-comer to the shadow cabinet in opposition, will take on the challenging portfolio of Climate Change.

The cabinet also features a new Minister Responsible for the Teaching Profession portfolio held by Nationals MP
Peter Hall
.

Mr Baillieu hinted that this could see Mr Hall play a role in looming enterprise bargaining negotiations with the state’s teachers.

He also defended having just four women in the cabinet saying it reflected his desire for stability in the transition into government.

The new government will also slightly rejig departments to take account of his new ministerial arrangements.

One of the key changes will be the renaming and restructuring of the Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development as the Department of Business and Innovation. The responsibility for Regional Development will shift to the Department of Planning and Community Development.

Mr Baillieu said the departmental changes would give a greater importance to business, productivity and exports.

The new leader and his frontbench were sworn in by Governor
David de Kretser
at a ceremony at Government House about 1.30pm on Thursday.

The change of government follows Labor's defeat on Saturday after 11 years in power under former premiers Steve Bracks and John Brumby.

Before the official swearing in, Mr Baillieu paraded his frontbench at state parliament.